The present disclosure relates to an operation input device that can determine an input content from a touch feeling, and an information processing apparatus provided with the operation input device.
A touch panel is used as an operation input device that performs various operation inputs to an information processing apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile device, a scanner device, a multifunction peripheral, a personal computer, and a tablet terminal. In the information processing apparatus of this type, an input process is executed when a user operates each operation key corresponding to each of various functions displayed on the touch panel. However, in the information processing apparatus described above, it is necessary to find and depress a desired operation key, and to confirm whether the input content is correct or not on a display screen. Therefore, a user who is unfamiliar with an operation of the information processing apparatus or a user who operates the touch panel while simultaneously doing another work is sometimes difficult to operate the information processing apparatus.
There has conventionally been known a method of allowing a user to determine an input content from a change in a vibration pattern according to a time when a touch panel is depressed. In addition, there has conventionally been known a method of processing information corresponding to a number of times of vibration of a terminal device from the start of the operation by the user till the end of the operation, according to the number of times of vibration, in order to simplify a user's operation.